My Best Friend
by Chucky Ray
Summary: In what should be one of the most happiest times of Queen Mal's life, turns out to be one of the saddest,.. and having to explain to Dude why he's never going to see his best friend ever again isn't making it any easier for her. This is a prequel to my series The Princess of Auradon that I will start eventually.


**A Quick Note From The Author: Hey guys, I'm sorry that I sort of disappeared for the summer but I have had a lot of stuff going on. I realize that I currently have some unfinished projects, but due to the fact that Descendants 3 premiers tonight and fans (including me) have been mourning the current loss of Cameron Boyce/Carlos,.. I figured that I would do this as a tribute to him. R.I.P Cameron, you might have been taken from this world WAY too soon, but you'll never be forgotten. Like Dude, I hope that you are playing with a lot of puppies in Heaven right now. Oh yeah and the beast's human name is Christopher/Chris in this one.**

**Edit: I just finished watching the film and the best in the series in my opinion, and also I decided to do this up a bit differently as well now that I watched it. Enjoy! **

"I now pronounce you husband and wife,.. you may kiss the bride." Christopher began as Ben and Mal kissed each other and Jay, Carlos, and Evie all cheered for them as well as the rest of the crowd. "Well Hades, it looks like you have a new son in-law." Uma began as she turned over to look at him with a sneer.

"Eh, I guess that I'll keep him." He replied with a shrug and a grin before Carlos heaved a sad sigh and bent over to pick up Dude.

"What's wrong with you?" Evie began. "I thought that you would be happy for her. She's always been like our sister after all." She pointed out.

"I know,.. it's just that they're going to be going on their honeymoon really soon and I'm really going to miss them." He said.

"Yeah me too, I really like the way that Ben gives me table scraps and Mal is very good at playing fetch." Dude said as Carlos grinned and stifled a laugh.

"Well don't worry buddy, they'll be back." He reassured him while scratching him behind the ears. "And no matter what, I'll always be here for you. You're my best friend." He told him before placing a quick kiss to the top of his head.

"Right back at ya! Although I hope for my sake that I never have to meet your mother. It would be worse than if you decided to get a cat." Dude said.

"Uh oh, you better watch out,.. I know for a fact that cats are Mal's favorite animal." Uma teased playfully with a grin.

"Umm,.. remind me again,.. why did King Ben and Queen Mal decide to bring down the barrier?" Dude questioned as Uma's grin instantly vanished.

"You know, maybe there's a reason that dog's shouldn't talk." She said while narrowing her eyebrows and glaring at him.

"Ouch! You look like I did right after I had to take a bath and then go to the vets all on the same day." Dude told her while Carlos continued scratching him behind the ears before setting him back down on the ground.

"Come on buddy let's go to the park alright?" he questioned him while slapping his knee.

"Alright, and the last one there has to eat cat poop!" Dude cried as he sprinted after him barking energetically.

Meanwhile the new king and queen watched them leave from the balcony. "Oh, you should catch them and say goodbye to them before we leave for Honolulu." Ben suggested as he turned to smile at his beautiful new bride but Mal just simply shook her head and smiled sadly at her husband.

"Nah, we really should start packing. Besides, it looks like they're kind of busy right now and I know that I'll see them when we come back." She said as he placed a tender hand to her cheek and gazed deeply inside her eyes while continuing to smile at her. "Alright,.." he began as he placed a soft and tender kiss onto her lips. "Right this way then,.. your majesty." He told her with a grin before bowing his head and offering her his hand. She smiled back at him as she took it and then he stood back up and escorted her inside.

_…_

"It's like,.. like a really bad dream or something." Evie said to Jay with a sniff while they started walking around the courtyard together as tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"I know exactly what you mean." Jay began. "I miss him too,.. and I just can't believe that he's gone." He told her. "Poor Jane is completely beside herself and I don't even think Dude knows yet." He finished.

"And the worst thing of all is that Ben and Mal are coming back today. How are they going to react when they find out that one of their best friends in the whole entire world is dead?" Evie wondered.

"I don't know, but we have to find a way to break it to them gently." Jay said with a sniff before wiping his nose on the back of his hand.

That's when suddenly Dude came running outside. "Hey guys is Carlos with you!?" he exclaimed before he finally caught up to them and they both turned to exchange worried glances with one another. "It figures that he sleeps in on the day that we were supposed to go camping together! And he calls me lazy!?" he cried.

"Umm,.. Dude,.. listen,.." Evie began before taking a deep breath. "There's something that I need to tell you. Carlos isn't here." She said as she squatted down in front of him and looked at him through her teary eyes.

"Well duh! That's because he's still in bed and it's about time that he gets up don't you think?" he questioned her as she closed her eyes while more tears escaped them and rolled down her cheeks. "Hey, what's the matter?" he asked her.

"Dude, this isn't easy for me to have to be the one to tell you this,.. but Carlos is dead. He passed away in his sleep last night because of an epileptic seizure." Jay told him as he instantly sprung up to all fours.

"What!? No! He can't be!" he barked but Jay simply just shook his head at him.

"I'm sorry Dude, but he is. I went into his bedroom to wake him up for breakfast, but by the time I got there it was already too late." He explained.

"No! I don't believe you! He's not dead! We're supposed to be friends forever!" he barked before he turned around and ran away.

"Dude wait! Come back!" Jay cried.

"Forget it Jay, he just needs some time." Evie told him softly as she opened her eyes and sniffed again. "Besides, Ben and Mal are going to be home soon and we have to get ready to pick them up from the airport." She said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll find Dude and talk to him later." Jay agreed.

_…__._

Ben and Mal walked into the airport holding hands and smiling as Jay and Evie came racing towards them. Mal couldn't wait to tell them the exciting news. Before she knew it both of her friends that she had come to know and love like a brother and a sister were embracing her tightly. "Hey,.. welcome home." Evie said with a rather warm and an affectionate smile.

"Thanks, it's great to be back and you'll never guess what news I have to share with you." Mal began and her smile started fading while she looked around and realized that one member in their group was missing.

"What's that?" Evie questioned her while still grinning from ear to ear.

"Where's Carlos?" she asked her and that's when suddenly both Jay's and Evie's smile faded and Evie took ahold of Mal by the hand and grabbed ahold of it tightly.

"Mal, there's something that Jay and I have to tell you." She said anxiously while Mal looked at her worriedly.

Meanwhile Dude continued trotting away from the castle and down the street as it started to rain. "It just isn't fair! Why did my best friend in the whole entire world have to die!?" he hollered as a flash of lightning lit up the sky followed by a sudden clap of thunder and he started whining. That's when suddenly Dude stopped on the side of the road and turned around as a purple limousine stopped behind him and Mal got out of it.

"Dude!" she called. "Come on boy it's time to go home!" she cried while waving her hand over at him.

"Forget it! It just isn't home without Carlos." He said as he sat down and continued to whine before Ben stepped out of the car as well.

"Mal's right dude, we all miss Carlos but you just can't stay here in this storm." He said as Mal walked over to him and picked him up.

"Come on Dude, let's go." She said as she carried him back into the car and then they drove back to the castle together.

_…_

"Poor Dude." Mal began later that night to her husband as she stood up on the balcony and looked up at the stars. "It's like he lost his best friend."

"That's because he did." Ben told her.

"No he didn't." Mal began. "None of us have. Carlos is still with us and he always will be no matter what. I just got to make him see that."

"Well then if I were you I would do it quick, because he hasn't been eating or sleeping all day. I'm really worried about him. If he doesn't start eating again, we could lose him as well,.. then what would our child play with?" Ben questioned her as she glanced back over at him.

"Where is he?" she asked him.

" I think that Evie, Maria, and Uma took him for a walk in the park." He replied.

Sure enough Evie, Uma, and a little girl who was dressed like a pirate and had tanned skin, light brown hair, and hazel eyes decided to stroll along the path of the park.

"You know, I never realized how big and beautiful the moon is." Uma began while glancing up at it with a grin.

"Why do you think that dogs howl at it?" Dude questioned her.

"Harry's been trying to get me out here for years, but I've always turned him down." Uma said as Evie grinned at her.

"You like him don't you?" she questioned her.

"No!" she exclaimed rather quickly with a scoff and a roll of her eyes.

"Oh come on Aunt Uma, you can't fool me." Maria said as she simply just rolled her eyes again and that's when suddenly Mal stepped out in front of them.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" Uma asked her as they came to a sudden stop behind her and she placed her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, I was just wondering if I could talk to Dude for a minute." She said.

"Is being pregnant caused you to go blind? He's right in front of you." Uma pointed out.

"I meant alone." Mal told her.

"Course you did, my apologizes your majesty." Uma began. "Well I better get this little one home to her father anyways, it's way past her bedtime." She finished.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about it too much, he's probably drunk so much rum that he's asleep by now. Or even if he's not, he wouldn't notice that I'm gone anyways." Maria said as she and the other two started to leave while Dude sat down in front of Mal.

"Did I hear that right!? Are you and King Ben going to have a baby?" Dude questioned her eagerly as she stifled a laugh and nodded. "Prince or Princess?" he asked her.

"Yes." She replied with a grin before letting out a tiny giggle as he just simply stared at her with confusion. "Let me rephrase that, we don't know yet." She told him.

"Oh." He replied. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked her as she took a deep breath and then heaved a heavy sigh.

"I think you already know what I want to talk to you about." She told him.

"If it's about Carlos you can forget it!" he snapped as he stood back up and then quickly turned around and trotted away from her.

"But Dude we _have _to talk about it! Carlos wouldn't have wanted you to make yourself sick like this! He loved you so much!" she cried before he stopped and then turned back around to face her.

"Oh really!? Then why did he betray me and leave me alone like this!?" he snapped as Mal suddenly felt herself starting to tear up.

"It was part of his health condition Dude! He couldn't help it!" she sobbed while she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"But it just isn't fair! He was my best friend!" he cried as he laid down and placed his head down on top of his paws and whimpered.

"I know Dude,.. he was mine too don't forget that! He was also Evie's, and Jay's, and Uma's and basically everybody's friend here in Auradon!" she exclaimed. "But,.." she began with a sniff as the tears continued rolling down her cheeks. "we only lost a person, we didn't lose a friend, or all of the memories and the fun times that we shared with him." She pointed out.

"I know,.. but why did it have to be this way?" Dude asked as he glanced up at her and then she sat down beside him and cuddled up to him while blinking away her tears.

"I don't know. That's just how life is." She told him. "Never forget how much he loved you though, you were everything to him, and you're everything to us. Just because a friend dies, doesn't mean that the friendship that you had has to. It will always live in your heart forever." She said.

"I know, I just miss him so much." Dude began as she nodded at him.

"I know, we all do." She told him before she continued to sob and then he stood up and started licking her face and wagging his tail a little bit making her giggle and then he finally stopped.

"There's only one more question that I have to ask you though." He said as she got back off of the ground and stood up.

"Oh really? What's that?" she wondered.

"Are there puppies in Heaven?" he asked her while tilting his head to the side and she smiled and nodded at him.

"Yes, I do believe there is." She told him.

"Then I really hope that Carlos is playing with them right now. After all, he'll need somebody to keep him company." He told her as she continued smiling at him and then nodded again.

"Me too." She replied while blushing away her tears. "Come on Dude, let's get you home and put some food into that furry belly of yours." She said as she turned around and started walking away from him and he started following her and looking up at her while he walked.

"Alright, and by the way,.. when the new little prince or princess is born and you're looking for a babysitter,.. don't. Look. At. Me! I don't do diapers, want my tail and or ears being pulled, and I can't stand the crying. Of course,.. I will always help you clean up any leftovers that Junior accidentally drops in the kitchen." He volunteered eagerly with a wag of his tail making Mal laugh again.

"Sure, why not?" she questioned him before they started making their journey back home together.

**I actually started crying a little bit at this part. Once again R.I.P Cameron Boyce, you might be physically gone but you'll always be in our hearts. By the way, in case you're not aware of who Maria is yet, you'll find out in "The Princess of Auradon Chapter One" so here's a spoiler alert,.. it's a girl! :D**


End file.
